Posting here for a coilover review since I'd like to share my thoughts regarding the Tein Flex Z coilovers.
Build Quality: 8.5/10
The parts all seem to be well build, as they should be since it is made in japan. Dust boots are very good quality, and they seem like they will last a very long time regardless of weather conditions. The teflon coating on the strut threads are very well done, the threads feel very smooth and again seems like it will last a long time. The green paint tein uses is a very thick and wear resistant paint, as the metal used is a steel rather than aluminum. They have made a good effort to make these durable against the elements. I cannot comment on the longevity as I have only had these for a few thousand miles.
Pillow ball mount developed a very loose feeling after a few thousand miles.
Installation: Easy
There are tons of installation guides on here, youtube, and other forums. I won't go about explaining that. It is the normal procedure of taking out, replacing the assemblies, and doing the proper bushing tension (many people don't do that, this is the cause of premature bushing failure). Simply put it's easy for a seasoned mechanic or DIY hero. Install time 2-4 hours.
HeLlAFLuSH SlaMMAbiLiTy: 10/10
Yes it can go low...
![62278]( "62278")
From the factory these are already set up to go very low. Standard/out of the box drop the coilovers is stated:
Front drop 30mm (from factory height)
Rear drop 25mm (from factory height)
Tein prefers a rake and so do I for most of my cars. I have mine set at a 10mm drop on the front from OEM, and a 5mm drop on the rear from OEM. This is my daily and I like having the ride height and clearance to go over bumps, and the roads we have in Los Angeles are pretty harsh and rough.
![62279]( "62279")
Driving Impressions, handling, and daily use?
The big question that everyone will ask and wonder... does it handle better? Sort of....
Dampening: 7/10
The dampening characteristics of the tein dampers are typical of a twin tube JDM, japan tuned damper. They have lots of rebound and little in the way of compression. Compared to the OEM 2019 STI inverted Monotubes, these tein dampers fall short. The OEM suspension is already very well optimized for all types of driving. The tein dampers do not have the same comfort or compromise as the OEM set. I find myself changing the damper settings a lot. The damper setting are very sensitive as there are only 16 clicks. Each click gives a noticeable change, good or bad. Some background on experience, I have had the pleasure of setting up very high end and low end suspensions for a variety of cars and conditions. I am used to very high end suspensions so take my opinions with a grain of salt.
(always turn full stiff clockwise, then back off and count, then subtract)
(example: clockwise full stiff, start turning clicks counterclock wise 10 clicks, 16-10=6)
The dampers have a wide range of adjustment. Depends on the surface and type of driving, I got these set up to match my driving style and preference. So yes they handle better than stock but you must change settings to suit the conditions.
Rebound and Compression balance on these tein dampers is poor in my opinion. The lack of compression dampening is what I am most disappointed with. I like the compression of the dampers around 12 to 14 clicks however, the rebound at 12 or 14 is far too much. Hence why Ohlins DFV is something I have always lusted over, since their balance of rebound and compression is much better than lower end suspensions.
Shock travel: 7/10
The bump stop is around 1.5 inches and it leaves 2.75 inches of shock travel at full drop. This is less than stock, enough for me to call it a short stroke suspension. Hitting a large crest at very high speeds would lead to the bumpstop usage. The oem suspension would also hit the bumpstops on that same bump. Tein did match the springs to damper stroke well.
![62282]( "62282")
Daily Use: 7/10
The ride can be set to ride better than stock at the cost of handling and control. The OEM suspension was always a middle ground more towards handling.
Camber: 10/10
The camber plates offer a wide range of camber adjustment (-6 to +5 degrees) . The STI is good for my uses as I can easily adjust camber on the fly if I am going to a trackday event or autox, or even for canyon usage. Record your tire temps and adjust accordingly. The added camber is the biggest benefit to the OEM suspension. Macpherson strut of the WRX/VA chassis is very limited. The camber curve is quite poor, I have other cars with Macpherson struts that have better camber curves than the STI.
Overall: 7/10 "You get bc racing antics for much cheaper"
These coilovers are good for the money. I got them at a crazy discount so I decided to give Tein Flex Z a shot. I am surprised for the price, these coilovers are a high quality daily-able coilover. These are equal to the BC racing coilovers I have tried on many other cars. If you are considering BC racing, these are just as good for a lot less, just don't expect Moton AST imsa racing quality.
EXTRA!!!! MY COILOVERS ARE MAKING NOISES HELP ME FIX IT PLEASE section:
Hiss squeak noise on up stroke: The dust boots make these noises, hence why KW uses a solid sleeve style boot. Nothing can be done to get rid of the noise without a new boot design or take the boot out... at your risk.
Creaking when braking: I didn't tighten the collars all the way using the designed wrenches and a torque wrench. YOU NEED TO TORQUE TO SPEC. I am used to just going by feel but the teflon coating is what makes it hard to tighten properly. The car would creak like a shaking shack, before I did this.
Some small popping noises: The pillow ball mounts make a popping noise AT FULL lock steering.
I installed thrust bearings on these coilovers, but they are unnecessary. The delrin and rubber on the springs are good enough.
![62283]( "62283")
THESE COILOVERS ARE QUIET, IF YOU HAVE NOISES THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE INSTALL NOT THE COILOVERS.
Build Quality: 8.5/10
The parts all seem to be well build, as they should be since it is made in japan. Dust boots are very good quality, and they seem like they will last a very long time regardless of weather conditions. The teflon coating on the strut threads are very well done, the threads feel very smooth and again seems like it will last a long time. The green paint tein uses is a very thick and wear resistant paint, as the metal used is a steel rather than aluminum. They have made a good effort to make these durable against the elements. I cannot comment on the longevity as I have only had these for a few thousand miles.
Pillow ball mount developed a very loose feeling after a few thousand miles.
Installation: Easy
There are tons of installation guides on here, youtube, and other forums. I won't go about explaining that. It is the normal procedure of taking out, replacing the assemblies, and doing the proper bushing tension (many people don't do that, this is the cause of premature bushing failure). Simply put it's easy for a seasoned mechanic or DIY hero. Install time 2-4 hours.
HeLlAFLuSH SlaMMAbiLiTy: 10/10
Yes it can go low...
From the factory these are already set up to go very low. Standard/out of the box drop the coilovers is stated:
Front drop 30mm (from factory height)
Rear drop 25mm (from factory height)
Tein prefers a rake and so do I for most of my cars. I have mine set at a 10mm drop on the front from OEM, and a 5mm drop on the rear from OEM. This is my daily and I like having the ride height and clearance to go over bumps, and the roads we have in Los Angeles are pretty harsh and rough.
Driving Impressions, handling, and daily use?
The big question that everyone will ask and wonder... does it handle better? Sort of....
Dampening: 7/10
The dampening characteristics of the tein dampers are typical of a twin tube JDM, japan tuned damper. They have lots of rebound and little in the way of compression. Compared to the OEM 2019 STI inverted Monotubes, these tein dampers fall short. The OEM suspension is already very well optimized for all types of driving. The tein dampers do not have the same comfort or compromise as the OEM set. I find myself changing the damper settings a lot. The damper setting are very sensitive as there are only 16 clicks. Each click gives a noticeable change, good or bad. Some background on experience, I have had the pleasure of setting up very high end and low end suspensions for a variety of cars and conditions. I am used to very high end suspensions so take my opinions with a grain of salt.
(always turn full stiff clockwise, then back off and count, then subtract)
(example: clockwise full stiff, start turning clicks counterclock wise 10 clicks, 16-10=6)
The dampers have a wide range of adjustment. Depends on the surface and type of driving, I got these set up to match my driving style and preference. So yes they handle better than stock but you must change settings to suit the conditions.
Rebound and Compression balance on these tein dampers is poor in my opinion. The lack of compression dampening is what I am most disappointed with. I like the compression of the dampers around 12 to 14 clicks however, the rebound at 12 or 14 is far too much. Hence why Ohlins DFV is something I have always lusted over, since their balance of rebound and compression is much better than lower end suspensions.
Shock travel: 7/10
The bump stop is around 1.5 inches and it leaves 2.75 inches of shock travel at full drop. This is less than stock, enough for me to call it a short stroke suspension. Hitting a large crest at very high speeds would lead to the bumpstop usage. The oem suspension would also hit the bumpstops on that same bump. Tein did match the springs to damper stroke well.
Daily Use: 7/10
The ride can be set to ride better than stock at the cost of handling and control. The OEM suspension was always a middle ground more towards handling.
Camber: 10/10
The camber plates offer a wide range of camber adjustment (-6 to +5 degrees) . The STI is good for my uses as I can easily adjust camber on the fly if I am going to a trackday event or autox, or even for canyon usage. Record your tire temps and adjust accordingly. The added camber is the biggest benefit to the OEM suspension. Macpherson strut of the WRX/VA chassis is very limited. The camber curve is quite poor, I have other cars with Macpherson struts that have better camber curves than the STI.
Overall: 7/10 "You get bc racing antics for much cheaper"
These coilovers are good for the money. I got them at a crazy discount so I decided to give Tein Flex Z a shot. I am surprised for the price, these coilovers are a high quality daily-able coilover. These are equal to the BC racing coilovers I have tried on many other cars. If you are considering BC racing, these are just as good for a lot less, just don't expect Moton AST imsa racing quality.
EXTRA!!!! MY COILOVERS ARE MAKING NOISES HELP ME FIX IT PLEASE section:
Hiss squeak noise on up stroke: The dust boots make these noises, hence why KW uses a solid sleeve style boot. Nothing can be done to get rid of the noise without a new boot design or take the boot out... at your risk.
Creaking when braking: I didn't tighten the collars all the way using the designed wrenches and a torque wrench. YOU NEED TO TORQUE TO SPEC. I am used to just going by feel but the teflon coating is what makes it hard to tighten properly. The car would creak like a shaking shack, before I did this.
Some small popping noises: The pillow ball mounts make a popping noise AT FULL lock steering.
I installed thrust bearings on these coilovers, but they are unnecessary. The delrin and rubber on the springs are good enough.
THESE COILOVERS ARE QUIET, IF YOU HAVE NOISES THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE INSTALL NOT THE COILOVERS.
